Screw driver



- 1,624,530 1927' R. o. cARuso SCREW DRIVER Filed Feb. 23, 1925 '2Sheets-Sheet 1 April 12 9 R. o. CARUS O SCREW DRIVER Filed Feb. 23,1925- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wuento'a I I QROMAM IJ IJIIIII ill lhh.llllllllll lll ll lll.

Patented A... 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROMEO O. CABUSO, O1 READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASS-IGNOR O1 ONE-TRIED TODANIEL MASTBOLIA. AND ONE-THIRD T0 ALBERT F. FERRAINOLO, BOTH OEREADING,

PENNSYLVANIA.

SCREW DZRIV'IIEIR.

Application filed February 23, 1926. Serial No. 89,871.

This invention relates to improvements in screw-drivers and theobject inthe present instance is to provide a tool of this character, in whichscrews may be held by the bit while being inserted into the wood andreleased when driven home; one in which screws of. different sizes, thatis screws in which the bit-engaging slots are of dilferent widths, mayreadily be engaged by the bit and one in which a screw may be so heldwhile the stem of the screw-driver is straight t and rigid, or while itis flexed to drive a screw at an angle to the axial line of the handle.

The invent-ion contemplates a device which may be used as an ordinaryrigid screw driver or as a flexible or flexed screw driver, and whichmay be made to hold a screw by its bit in any position to which it ispossible to flex the stem, and to drive the screw while in any suchposition.

The invention consists of a rotatable sleeve located on the handle, theturning of which will rapidly convert the rigid tool into a flexibleone, and of a bifurcated spring screw engaging bit at the opposite endof the bit, and means attached to and actuated by the handle, forexpanding the split portion of the bit,-in addition to a slotted sleevemember through which the extent of expansion of said bit members mayberegulated.

The invention is more fully described in the following specificatiorTand clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

- pur which I -Fi 1 is an elevational view of my 'device, showm indotted lines, one of the positions assume when-flexed.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the bit and -he regulating sleeve indifferent positions.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view of the end of the bit, showing itexpanded and engaging a screw.

igure 5 is a central, vertical, sectional view of the complete device,broken away for ses of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through 6-6 of Figure 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail'view showing several of the links which go to make upthe flexible stem member. Fi s. 8, 9 and 10 show one of the links indetai The numeral 1 designates the handle to which is rigidly attached astem 2, heldagainst rotation in the handle by a key 3.

To the upper end of the stem is attached the lowermost link oftheflexible stem mem-' ber which is made up of a number of links 5,

as'best illustrated in Figure 7.

To the uppermost link of this flexible member, is attached ascrew-engaging bit 6,

held in position bya pair of oppositely disposed screws 7. The bit isbifurcated, as shown in Figures 1 and 4 and its'extremities are capableof being expanded after bemg placed in engagement with the screw slot tohold the screw while it is being inserted. This bit has a centrallongitudinal opening in which an expanding mandrel 8 moves. This mandrelis carried on the upper end of a fic'zible stem 9 which is surrounded bya coil spring, the object of which is to help prevent any angularbending or buckling of the stem, and said stem 9 depends through thehollow fiexible link member and'its lower extremity has a perforationthrough whicha pin 10 passes. This 'pin is slightly greater in lengththan the diameter of the stem 2, and it is adapted to move up and downin a vertical slot 12 in said stem 2. This pin is inserted through oneof the openings occupied by the screws 13, and it is formed with aninternal annular groove 30,

at the point where the screws 13 enter it and where the pin 10- islocated, which pin, being slightly longer than the diameter inside thestem, will engage the roove at both its ends, so that, the turning ol'the slee e 15 will cause the stem 9, through which the pin passes, tomove u and down in the casing.

Before attempting to convert the device from one position into another,it is first necessary to rotate the sleeve 15, to lower it on thehandle,- which action will release the pressure on the coiled member 18and allow it to flex freely and also bring down the stem 9 and themandrel 8.

Located near the base of the split bit member 6, and slidably mountedthereon, is a sleeve 20 and projecting from two oppositely disposedpoints on the surface of the bit, are two pins 21. The sleeve is formedwith a series of notches in its upper edge, adapted for engagement bythese pins. One pair of notches, shown in Figure l, engage the pins whenthe sleeve is in normalposition, that is, when the bit is closed. Theposition shown in Figure 2 is the one assumed by the pins when the bitis to be only partially expanded or opened, to engage, a screw withrelatively narrow slot, while the osition shown in Figure 3, with thesleeve 1n relatively low position, will members to open farther.

The slot 25 in the sleeve 20 extends to a point near its base, and, whenit is desired to remove the bit from the stem 5, for the purpose ofreplacing it with another one, the sleeve may be slipped up on the bit,thus exposing the screws 7 by means of which it is attached to the saidstem 5.

It will therefore be noted that when the sleeve 15 has been lowered onthe handle, not only will the coiled member be free to flex, but thislowering of the sleeve 15 will also draw the stem 9 and the mandrel 8down and permit the adjusting sleeve 20 to be placed in proper positionwith regard to the pins 21 and that, when the sleeve 15 is turned in theopposite direction, the man- 'drel will be forced up into the split bitpermit the split bitmembers and expand them to an extent determined bythe location of the pins 21 in said sleeve slots, as above described.

The extremities of the split bit are slightly roughened as indicated, toinsure a firm en- I gagement with the screw slot.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I c aim and desire tosecure by Letters Patentis 1. In a flexible screw driver, thecombination of a handle, a stem rigidly attached thereto by a key, aflexible link member attached to the end of said stem, said flexiblemember being made up of a number of links, a removable screw-engagingbit attached to the opposite end of said flexible link mem-.

2. In a flexible screw driver, a handle, a

stem rigidly attached thereto, a flexible link member attached to thestem, :1 bifurcated expansible bit attached to the' opposite end of theflexible link member, a mandrel to expand the bit, a flexible stem onwhich the mandrel is carried, a rotatable sleeve engaging the fiexiblelink member, a coil spring forming a casing for the flexible link memberand the flexible stem, and a sleeve on the bit to determine the degreeof expansion allowed the bit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROMEO O. CARUSO.

